Editorial: ECU needs a chancellor who cares more for eastern N.C. than catering to politicians

CBC Editorial: Monday, March 2, 2020; Editorial #8514
The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company.

There are lots of folks angling to become the next chancellor at East Carolina University. Among them are current members of the UNC Board of Governors and even key leaders in the General Assembly.

Frankly, we aren’t looking to endorse any specific individual for the job.

What is MOST important is the character and priorities of the person selected to lead ECU?.

East of Interstate 95 there is no more significant public institution – not just public higher education institution – than East Carolina University. The university’s leadership is critical to the economy, health and quality of life in eastern North Carolina.

To those who study, teach and work on the ECU campus, eastern North Carolina isn’t just a region or a geographic blob on a map embodied in a mascot. It is part of the institution’s DNA.

The school’s enrollment -- 28,650 -- is fourth most in the system, just slightly behind UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC Charlotte. It houses a medical and dental school and is home to a major regional health center serving a 29-county region. A very significant share of the teachers, nurses, doctors and other professionals trained at ECU go on to serve local communities and establish themselves in the economy and way of life in the eastern part of the state.

Anyone who entertains any notion of leading ECU must fulfill two criteria:

• A demonstrated commitment to the students, faculty and staff of the institution.
• A demonstrated commitment to health care, housing, education, and economic development in the region ECU serves.

In recent years that kind of commitment has failed to shine through. It has been overlooked by the UNC Board of Governors. The board, appointed by the legislature, is no longer primarily focused on creating the finest system of public higher education in America. The board members’ focus is on ideology. At times it resembles a political playground for lobbyists and former legislators.

The trail of fired and forced out system presidents and campus chancellors (particularly at ECU!) is exhibit number one. (We don’t even have to mention Silent Sam and the ECU student elections.)

It is time to get ECU back on track. It deserves a chancellor who demonstrates excellence in higher education and understands the future is made of partnerships. It deserves a leader who understands and nurtures the critical and unique relationships the university has with partners such as the non-profit Vidant Health.

Vidant operates the medical center that serves as the teaching hospital for ECU’s Brody School of Medicine. It is also the hub for Vidant’s network of facilities that provide healthcare to a 29-county region in the eastern part of the state. The legislature has threatened to reduce funding to Vidant and rumors abound suggesting that UNC Healthcare is interested in buying Vidant.

That talk needs to stop. Building the ECU -Vidant partnership should be a priority. And the new Chancellor should join with Vidant and fight for Medicaid expansion.

Citizens need health insurance and small hospitals desperately need patients whose cost of care will be paid.

And, the Chancellor should be a champion for the recently outlined Leandro settlement. It will mean a great deal to the students and viability of eastern North Carolina counties.

Education and service to the region are the priorities for the next chancellor of East Carolina University.

Keep politics out of it.